Hackers!
by Beth - Geek Chick
Summary: Auggie's called into covert op duty when his cover ID is compromised.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! Remember me, the one who teased you with the A&A BFF fic a while ago? heehee. Well, I've brainstormed again and came up with a cool, plausible, canon-based, A&A romance/adventure. Okay? Is everyone happy now? just kidding. Personally, I like this story, so hope you all will, as well. :) **

**1st chapter is a little short, but it's necessary to lay the groundwork for the rest. Enjoy!**

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><p>"Auggie, a word?"<p>

He, of course, knew it was Joan five seconds prior, but Auggie knew better than to call attention to that fact. Joan knew that he knew, and that was enough for both of them. As such, he excused himself from Annie, who walked away in a swish of skirts, a click of heels and a subtle cloud of perfume.

"I have something for you," Joan said, offering her elbow for him.

"The personal approach?" Auggie asked, falling into step beside his boss. By the direction she was taking him, he knew they were on their way to her office. "I like it."

"This is serious, Auggie. I didn't want an audience for what I'm about to tell you."

Soon they were in his office, and she guided him to the chair in front of her desk. The look on his face held apprehension and excitement. An interesting, combination, Joan thought, and surprisingly enough, perfectly accurate for the situation.

"Something's turned up in the chatter. Does the name Aug Jasper ring a bell?"

Auggie leaned forward, nearly slipping out of the seat. "You know it does, Joan. It's my cover."

"Exactly, which is why I wanted to ask why it's been linked to a malware virus as the author?"

Had Auggie's irses still worked, Joan could've sworn they'd be dilating right now. As such, the rest of his face showed the shock and despair at the fact that his cover was compromised. It's every covert operative's worst nightmare, especially if that cover identity had been cultivated and worked on for years.

"By the look on your face, I'll make sure to note in the report that there's no way you personally could've been reponsible. Which brings us to the next possibility. Somebody's appropriated your cover."

"Obviously," Auggie breathed.

"There's more," Joan said, opening her file. "A name came through, Ted Levine. He's currently looking for a buyer for what he calls undetectable and untraceable malware. It's not used to bring down big groups or large systems. It's specific to individuals. Anyone you want, all that's needed is a birthdate and a name."

"What, identity theft?" Auggie asked. "That's pretty lowball, don't you think?"

"Not theft," Joan said. "Identity erasure. The chatter claims that they've tested it already."

"What does it do?" Auggie asked, though the phrase "identity erasure" seemed fairly self-explanatory.

"The person that was targeted, within 24 hours, had no job. His bank had no record of his accounts. He was evicted; his social security number is listed as non-existent. Pretty much, whatever mention there is of you on a computer is deleted."

Auggie gave an involuntary shudder. It was the holy grail of hacks. Anyone worth their salt knew how to hack into a big business and steal numbers. But to go after an individual like this? To completely erase them? How did it work? How was it undetectable?

A few dozen other questions popped up in his head, but he took note of one thing Joan said. It'd been done already. "Who?"

"The victim's name was said to be Randy Jennings. Of course, there's no way to verify that because, of course, no record of him can be found."

"My God."

"My thoughts exactly," Joan said. It was one thing for someone to shoot you face-to-face, but to erase your life?

"Wait a minute, you said this Ted Levine has the malware and is looking for a buyer, right? Where'd my name come into it?"

"He claims to have created it with you – well, with Aug Jasper."

"Then Aug Jasper needs to come out of hiding," Auggie said. It was a statement, not a request, and he rose to stand. "If there's nothing else?"

"You're not going alone," Joan said, the tone of her voice telling him to sit back down.

"My cover is as a loner, Joan. I work alone."

"Was it also your cover to be blind?" Joan countered. "Things have obviously changed, for both of you, and now Aug Jasper is back in the game, with an assistant."

Auggie dropped back in his chair, frustration seeping out of his pores. "Okay, then, one of the tech guys. They know as much as I do and won't be suspicious."

Joan quickly shot that down, "No, it has to be an operative."

Auggie sighed and frowned, his hands clenching. He's hesitant to bring anyone with him. And most of the operatives were used to terrorists with big guns. This kind of operation required the kind of finesse that big, burly operatives wouldn't be able to pull off. And it'd have to be someone he trusted not to give him away. Though his cover ID was underused, it was still valid and all he had left of his past. The list growing in his head was short, but not one of the operatives had both his trust and the knowledge required for the mission. On a hunch, he decided to go with the trust.

"I'll do it, but it has to be Annie."

During the few seconds while Joan contemplated her answer, Auggie literally held his breath.

"Okay. Read her in," Joan said, handing Auggie the files. "Be thorough with this, but be quick. You're my best asset here, and we need you back."


	2. Chapter 2

Auggie stalked out of Joan's office, his previous good mood severely altered. Adrenaline poured through him on two levels. One, the malware, if found effective, was high-level dangerous.

Two, the fact that Aug Jasper was implicated. It made him angry, almost as if someone was attacking him personally. Sure, Aug Jasper didn't really exist, but that cover ID was still active. He made sure of it. It was all he had left of his seeing life.

So yeah, Auggie took it personally. All previous plans for the day were pushed aside as he made a beeline for Annie's desk. Sure, he could ask her if she was busy, and if she had a minute, that something had come up, but he was past being nice right now.

"Annie? Follow me, please."

Okay, so he was sort of being nice, but taking it out on Annie wouldn't do anything right now but make her mad, and he needed her right now.

"Sure, Auggie, can I ask why?"

He didn't say anything else, just kept walking past her desk. There's no way he could explain anything to her now, not out in the open like this. Even the normal space where they were briefed and debriefed held the promise of eavesdroppers.

He soon heard the fast click-click of heels behind him as Annie trotted to keep up. The files in one hand, the other held his laser cane that lit up the floors and hallways as he navigated their way to an empty office. Once inside, with the door shut, Auggie wasted no time and began laying out the papers in the folder onto a desk there.

Once they were arranged for Annie to peruse, he began to talk. "I already told you a bit about my cover ID last year. You're about to hear the whole story."

At first shocked by Auggie's abrasive attitude, she let it pass as she listened to the story he was telling. Now she knew why he'd dragged her to a private room. Cover IDs were precious commodities to the covert community. That fact was drilled into them from day one.

Now she was hearing about Auggie's life, his past before Tikrit – in essence, from college graduation until Tikrit. His cover was Aug Jasper, a computer expert disenfranchised with the world and smarter than practically everyone. His specialty was undetectable viruses. He'd been able to create computer code so insidious, that it barely stood out unless you were really, really looking for it.

He became more animated as he spoke, and soon Annie had a hard time understanding. "Hold on, you've lost me," she said after a few minutes.

Auggie blinked at her voice, so caught up as he was in his cover's detailed history. He couldn't help it. He almost missed that life. He took a breath to get focused back on the game at hand.

"Why are you telling me all this, Auggie?" Annie asked. "No one's supposed to know about cover IDs or where your safe house is, and now you're inviting me into your life like this?"

A half-smile tilted Auggie's lips up at the corners. "You're right. But you need to know because – well, because I'm going back in. As Aug Jasper. And you're coming with me."

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><p>Two hours later, Annie couldn't quite believe where she was. Riding up in an elevator to an apartment in Dupont Circle. Still in the DC area, but a good neighborhood it seemed. Whatever she thought Auggie's safe house would look like, she figured it'd resemble his current place.<p>

She kept her mouth shut, though, until he unlocked the heavy wooden door and let himself in. Annie expected a dusty, unused, barely furnished room, but for a second, she thought they'd walked into someone else's apartment.

It looked – lived in. "Auggie, are you sure this is the right place?"

Auggie chuckled, "Yes, I don't have the keys to just random apartments around the metro area. Why do you ask?"

"Because, unless you have a roommate, someone's been keeping this place up," she said, running her fingers across the decidedly undusty countertop in the kitchen.

Auggie dropped his bags in an armchair and met her by the kitchen island. "Aug Jasper and this place were all I had left. Let's just say, I was keeping it for a rainy day."

"And coming by once a week to dust and vacuum?" Annie asked with a laugh.

"I come by every once in a while, but the cleaning service that takes care of my apartment comes here once a week, too, to keep up appearances."

Annie nodded, seeing the logic in his words. "Okay, I'm in. But I'm not sure what you expect me to do in this whole situation. I don't think I can pull off being a hacker."

Auggie's face fell a little, so she continued talking. "Why don't we make me your helper?"

"I don't need a helper, Annie. I need a partner in this."

Annie stopped his words with a hand on his shoulder. "August Anderson, Special Ops captain and techie genius for the CIA doesn't need a helper. But Aug Jasper maybe does?"

"You've got a point," Auggie said.

"I know I do."

"It wouldn't help solidify my cover that I can do everything myself."

Annie breathed a sigh of relief. "So, we've got a deal, then?"

"I don't know," Auggie said with a hint of a glint in his eyes. "Will you wear a nurse's uniform?"

"Why – Auggie!" Annie said, lightly slapping his shoulders at his teasing implication. "I'm your assistant, not your nurse, nor your maid."

"Okay, but you will have to wear something different," he said.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Annie asked, her hands self-consciously smoothing over her skirt.

"Do you really think an underground hacker's assistant is going to afford Louboutin's? Or even know what a Louboutin is? Or wear silk stockings and cashmere sweaters?" Auggie asked.

Annie blushed a little at his rundown of her exact outfit. He always was a little more astute than she gave him credit for. "I'm not even gonna ask how you know what I'm wearing, but I understand. I'll go shopping."

"Where?"

"I don't know, maybe Burberry's on Connecticut Avenue in DC," Annie said, rattling off her current favorite go-to place for new wardrobe elements.

"Uh-uh," Auggie said with a firm shake of his head. "No new clothes. We're going to the U Street Corridor. I hear they've got some great vintage clothing stores."

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><p><strong>AN You guys are so great! With the hits, reviews and alerts just after one chapter, I see I've hit on a good story. Can't wait to see what Aug Jasper's old life was like, can you?**

**Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**So this chapter is about twice as long, but I didn't want to cut it short. Enjoy. :) And please review. Love hearing your thoughts on A&A.**

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><p>Since Auggie insisted on moving fast on this operation, Annie found herself driving them to the "little vintage shops" he'd heard of. Apparently, Auggie had enough items to get by, but Annie owned only one pair of jeans, and they were $200 designer brand with embroidery down one leg.<p>

The shop itself was tucked into a smaller space than she'd hoped, but she soon dove in. Hey, it's not every op that requires her to go shopping for clothes, she thought.

Auggie had refused to give her any tips as to what she should look like, citing the need for her to look natural and not "copy" anything. Besides, he'd said, that was years ago, and what did he know of trends and what women wore?

So Annie left him in a comfortable chair by the dressing room while she weighed her options and dug into the racks. She never really was the jeans and a t-shirt type of girl, and besides, if that's what Auggie's look was going to be, she wanted a bit of contrast.

After a few minutes, she found a rack of loose peasant skirts in different swirls of colors. A smile lit her face as she filled her arms with a half a dozen. They were of differing lengths, knee to ankle, and she deposited them into the dressing room. A handful of sleeveless tops to wear with them got added to the pile, as did a few long scarves, a couple of belts, and a really cool jacket.

"How's it going in there?" Auggie called out, as Annie walked past him again, and he heard the curtain swish as she closed herself in.

"What?" Annie asked, ducking her head back out.

"How's it going?"

"Perfect," Annie said with a smile, ducking back in. "Don't worry, Annie Holt will be the perfect counterpart to Aug Jasper."

Auggie knew they were pretty much alone save the salesperson at the other end of the store, but it really wouldn't do for Annie to be shouting their op briefing in the middle of a store. He stood and ducked his head behind the curtain of her dressing room.

"Say it a little bit louder next time," he teased.

Annie turned to check the fit of her skirt in the full-length mirror, pointedly ignoring Auggie's smirking face. "So, what do you think?" she asked.

"I don't know, what are you wearing?" he replied.

"Not about the outfit, smart aleck. My cover name. I figured I'd take your lead, leaving Annie, but going with different last name. With the outfits, I'll look completely different, plus I thought of putting my hair back in a braid."

"Umm, okay, I guess. You don't really have to go through so much effort," Auggie said, trying to keep up with her monologue. And he didn't really expect her to so fully embrace the idea. He assumed she'd trade her heels for flats and pull on a jacket instead of a cashmere sweater.

Annie stopped her preening and turned to see him half leaning through the curtain. She pulled him completely through and made room on the bench for him to sit. "This op is important to you, Auggie. I can tell. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize it."

"Thanks," Auggie said. As he made himself more comfortable on the bench, his hand bumped into the stack of clothing. "Give me an idea of what look you're going for?"

"Sort of high-end bohemian," Annie said, shimmying off the skirt she had on and grabbing another one. Most of them so far fit well, or wrapped around, and she was able to tie it close at the waist. "Skirts and sleeveless tops, a jacket or two, maybe a scarf. Hmm, I wonder if I should get some jewelry."

"Annie, Annie," he said with a laugh, reaching out to grab her arm to stifle her obvious shopping high. His hand did hit bare skin, but it wasn't until he moved it a couple of inches that he realized he hadn't hit her arm, but her bare thigh.

"Auggie, I brought you in here so we could talk without being heard by others, not for you to get a 'look' at the goods," Annie said, barely keeping herself from laughing. It was either that or admitting to herself that Auggie's hand on her bare leg felt warm and strong and –

And way too soon, he dropped it, a smirk of half-embarrassment on his lips. The other half of that smirk Annie couldn't quite decipher, so she concentrated on trying on the last of the skirts she had grabbed. It was a bit nicer than the others, a soft tan wrap skirt that tied on the side. Nodding to herself in approval, she took it back off and re-dressed.

"Care to help me carry all of these to the register?" she asked.

He nodded and stood, so Annie laid the stack of "keeps" over his right arm. The pieces would be enough to mix and match over the next week or two. If the op went any longer, she'd come back and add pieces.

When they were ready to leave, Annie offered her elbow to him, and he hooked his free hand into it. Maneuvering through the racks of clothes was a bit of a struggle, but soon they made it to the register, where Annie unloaded her choices from Auggie's arms and set them on the counter.

15 minutes later, Annie's backseat bulged with packages, and they were on their way back to Aug's apartment. Half of the packages were Annie's new purchases, the other half was "Aug Jasper's," culled from Auggie's own wardrobe.

When Annie pulled up outside his apartment, Auggie put a hand to her arm, staying her departure. "What is it? Did you forget something?" she asked.

"No, I was thinking, we should go out tonight."

"Really?" Annie asked.

"Yeah, we've both got our clothes, no time like the present to introduce Aug Jasper back into the scene."

Annie nodded, then wondered at the slight sense of disappointment she felt. She shook it off and got out of the car. "Tell you what, why don't I bring all of my stuff up, keep it at your place?"

"Sure, it'll be our base of operations, as it were, so no problem," Auggie replied. "Oh, yeah, and the couch pulls out, so if you ever have to stay over, it's not gonna be a problem."

XXX

Once in character, Annie marveled at the transformation in each of them. Her outfit consisted of a long paisley skirt, black tank and scarf, and she french braided her hair, hanging the ends over her shoulder. The effect was complete, and she hardly recognized herself.

Aug Jasper was a somewhat college version of Auggie Anderson, with faded jeans, a Mario tee and brown leather jacket. Her eyebrows rose as she saw his feet encased in a pair of Chucks.

"Wow, didn't know you owned a pair of Chuck Taylors. Nice touch," Annie said.

"Thanks. What have you got on? I don't recognize the sound."

"Wedges. Gives me height, but still dressed down," Annie said. "Should we go?"

"Just follow my lead, Miss Holt," Auggie said.

The place Auggie directed her to didn't strike Annie as one that'd cater to white collar criminals, given how unassuming it looked. A cross between a tavern and a coffeeshop, it was about half-full of mostly men and a few women – all young – talking in whispers and drinking. Some had laptops, others were tapping on iPhones or tablets.

Auggie had brought his white cane and was navigating his way around, though Annie had to steer him clear of a table or two. Though his razor sharp memory served him well in most places, it didn't help if the furniture was moved.

They settled by the corner of the bar and ordered a couple of drinks. Auggie had told her to follow his lead, and Annie took it as rote, fully engulfing herself as an assistant/friend to a blind hacker. She took the time to study him as he completely immersed himself in his cover. The Auggie Anderson she knew would be the life of the party in such a group, smiling and talking with everyone – especially the women. Aug Jasper hunched, barely smiled and seemed to withdraw into himself.

She was utterly fascinated. She leaned in to whisper something when a man came up behind Auggie. Tall and unassuming, Annie immediately didn't like him. Not because he was dressed in clothes that probably hadn't seen a washing machine for weeks, but there was something in his eyes that raised her suspicions and made her skin crawl.

"Aug! Dude, is that really you?"

Auggie froze at the man's voice behind him. Geez, he thought, if that's who he thought it was, his first contact right out of the gate was the last one he wanted to run into. But, he was recognized, so might as well make the best of it.

"Stan, I'd know your voice anywhere," he said, turning around.

"Man, where the hell have you been?"

"Well, you know, taken out of the game for a bit," Auggie said, waving his hand in front of his face.

"Holy crap! You're blind?"

"Yep, had to take some time to rehab, you know," he said with a shrug.

"How? Or can I ask that?"

Auggie inwardly cringed as the man was intent on catching up. "You can ask, nothing big. Stove blew up in my face."

"I told you to replace that gas stove, didn't I?" Stan asked, clapping a heavy hand on Auggie's shoulder.

"Yeah, you did," Auggie said with a grown, hoping the man didn't leave a bruise. "Anyway, good to see you again. Well, you know."

"And who's this?"

Auggie felt Annie behind him the whole time and wished Stan didn't notice her. The man was such small potatoes, a letch, glomming onto others. And now he's noticed Annie. Auggie had to move fast.

He only hoped Annie played along. "This is my girl, Annie," he said, sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her close to his side. There was only a slight hesitation, but she soon curved into his side, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Annie, this is Stan, an old friend."

"It's nice to meet you," Annie said with a small smile, placing her head on Auggie's shoulder.

After a few more words of introduction, Stan soon moved away, but Auggie didn't dare let go of Annie. If he remembered Stan, it'd soon become public knowledge that Aug was back, and he wasn't alone.

After a few minutes, he leaned down and whispered low in Annie's ear. "Sorry about this. Stan's a letch and a gossipmonger. Hope you're adept at changing covers on the fly."

"Why, Auggie, sweetie, I'm not sure what you mean," Annie purred back in his ear, and he grinned. "I'd love to meet all your old friends."

Annie moved back a few inches, and her eyes lit on Stan who was watching them – or her, really, with an intent stare. As their gazes caught, he gave her a wink and a smile, and Annie's previous dislike turned to disgust. She had to do something quick.

Auggie was settling back into his Aug Jasper role, albeit a different Aug Jasper, as this one had a girlfriend, when Annie moved even closer to him. He wondered why she was nearly on his lap and was about to ask, but she then did something that completely surprised and thrilled him.

Her head pulled away from his, and he felt her lips on his. Not just a peck, either, but a full-on kiss with her hands clapped on either side of his head. Her touch was soft and sweet, the beer on both of their breaths mixing. He could swear she parted her lips a bit and licked him, but she pulled away all too soon.

When she released him and ducked her head into his shoulder, he had to hold himself back from pulling her close again or at least asking a few dozen questions as to what that was, but he held onto his cover.

After another hour, they'd met enough of "Aug's" old friends and solidifed that he was in town and eager to get back in the game.

Annie found it all fascinating and thanked her stars that all she had to do was follow Auggie's lead and smile. If this was just a glimpse into the world Auggie once led, she found herself more and more in awe of him.

Auggie waited until they were back inside his apartment and safely locked away before dropping his cover and turning to her. She'd grabbed a couple of beers out of the fridge, and they settled onto the couch.

"So, how was your first night out with the dregs of the online world?"

"Fascinating," Annie replied with complete honesty.

"Mm, so you didn't mind moving from my assistant to my girlfriend, then?" he asked.

"No, that was a good move," Annie said with a nod. "There were a few women there, and by their looks, I'd say I fit right in."

"Uh-huh."

His noncommital answer had Annie turning to gauge his mood. He seemed to be thinking harder than was required at this point in time. She knew what he was thinking, so she decided to bring it up herself. "You want to know why I kissed you."

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but now that you bring it up."

"Liar. Your friend, Stan, was staring at me. Ugh, I still feel slimy from that look. I had to cement that I was yours, else I don't think he'd get the hint."

"Yeah, Stan's quite the letch, but he's also a talker. He'll do most of the work for us, getting it out into the world that Aug Jasper is back."

"So he is good for one thing?" Annie asked with a laugh.

"He's a horrible gossip, and not above using the information he's gathered to curry favors."

Annie nodded, leaning back on the couch. It'd be a long day, whose end she hadn't really envisioned when she woke that morning. Playing a role as Auggie's girlfriend, holed up in his safe house. The scene was almost too perfect, but she decided anything further would only complicate the situation they'd been forced into.

"So, you say this couch folds out, huh?" she asked.

"Yep, but if you want, the bed is queen-sized," he said.

It'd be so easy, so simple, but she declined, "I'll be all right out here."


	4. Chapter 4

"So, what's it like creating a cover?" Annie asked, as she drove her car along the dim road towards a get-together of Aug Jasper's old friends.

"Exhilarating. Not only creating a life, but living them both at the same time."

"Tell me how you do it."

"Every time you walk into a situation under cover, you have to keep a thread of yourself held tight."

"That's the textbook definition," Annie scoffed, looking close at address numbers along the street.

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"Just, when do you know when to step back?"

"What do you think is going to happen?"

"Could you stop answering my question with a question?" Annie asked, her exasperation evident in her voice as she pulled the car to the side of the road and slid it into park.

"You're talking in circles, Annie. I'm trying to figure out what you really want to know."

Annie crossed her arms over her chest. Fine, he wants to know? I'll tell him, she thought. "We're out there, on a cover as a couple. We kiss, we hug, we hold each other. How do I know how much of that's real? When you're playacting, and when it's real?"

A minute passed before he answered. "Annie, when Joan told me I had to take someone with me on this job, I automatically chose you."

"Just answer the question."

"I am. Listen. I chose you because I trust you, and I knew whatever happened, you'd trust me. And I'd know, at the end of this, no matter what happened, we'd be okay."

The look on his face threw Annie back a year ago, when she came across him on the train, looking as lost as she'd ever seen. It was the last time he'd stepped out as Aug Jasper.

"So you trust me to do what? Pull you back if I see you've gone too far? And you'll pull me back if I've gone too far?" she asked.

Auggie nodded.

"What if we both fall together?"

"That's a chance we'll have to take."

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><p>Annie and Auggie walked into the apartment. A chorus of voice shouted out to "Aug!" and Annie simply looked around, flabbergasted at not the guests, but the fact that it so resembled a normal middle class hipster's pad rather than a place filled with dangerous criminals. As comfortable as Auggie was among the group, Annie was out of her element. She was used to bad guys you could pick out in a crowd, not ones that resembled Auggie.<p>

She stuck by Auggie, though, and did her best to follow his lead. Her quietness, however, seemed to attract more attention than if she stood on the table and sang karaoke.

"Annie, Aug here tells me you're not in the tech field?" one particularly loud one whose name she couldn't remember asked.

"Nope, sorry," Annie said with a smile.

"Then what do you do?"

Ahh, Annie thought, finally something she could talk about. "I'm a physical therapist, licensed in massage and occupational therapy. It's how I met Aug, after his little accident."

His arm tightened around her waist, bringing her to his side.

"Dude, you fell for your nurse? How lame."

"Nurse?" Annie asked, instantly offended. "I graduated top of my class at the University of Southern California to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy, with a specialization in occupational therapy. Not to mention, I have a black belt in judo. I can demonstrate my qualifications, if you'd like?"

The perpetrator backed off, hands held high in mock surrender, while those around him burst out laughing. Annie smirked and mentally patted herself on the back. Auggie showed his appreciation, as well, pulling her with him as he settled down in an armchair so that she wound up sitting sideways on his lap.

"You got yourself a live one there, Aug," said the man.

"I know," Auggie said, winding his arms around her. Annie ducked her head onto his shoulder. "Can you blame me?"

"She's all right."

"You got that right," Auggie said, ducking his head down and planting his lips on her smiling mouth.

A half-second of shock, then Annie gave herself up to it. Auggie was a hell of a kisser, much different than what she'd experienced in the past. With Auggie, it was all about touch and scent, and his hands never stopped moving along her bare arms up to her neck and along her jawline. His mouth, soft and persuasive, had her lips parting before she knew it. With a smile of satisfaction, he dove in, and Annie could do nothing but clutch at his shoulder as his tongue swept her lower lip and slid along her teeth. When she attempted to reciprocate, to taste the sweetness his touch was hinting at, he allowed her, and their tongues dueled for dominance.

When his mouth finally descended off her lips to nuzzle into her shoulder and neck, Annie had to mentally shake herself and draw a deep breath. Damn, she thought. No wonder all those women keep throwing themselves at him, if that's what they experienced with just one kiss. She felt as if every inch of her skin were on fire, and those parts his hands didn't touch were craving him.

While his lips and tongue tasted the length of her neck, she tried to concentrate on the groups milling around them, talking in small groups. Auggie's hearing was better than hers, but she had the advantage of being able to tell who was just talking as opposed to who was plotting. Visual cues were just as good as a polygraph sometimes, especially with those who didn't know they were being watched.

She'd be able to tell better if Auggie wasn't inhaling deeply just beneath her ear. It was where she dabbed her perfume on a regular basis, and he seemed to be honing in on the exact spot.

"Auggie," she whispered, "is there anyone I should be looking for?"

His response was a growl and a tightening of his arms around her waist, and Annie turned in his grasp until her lips were near his ear. "Auggie."

He shivered at the sound of his name and growled, "Want to get out of here?"

"We haven't learned anything yet."

"What?"

"Auggie, the op," she whispered. "Ted Levine, the virus."

Summarily pulled out of his Annie-fueled sexual haze, Auggie loosened his grip on her and took a few deep breaths before letting go of her completely. Annie dropped a quick kiss on his lips before standing up and walking a few feet away. She picked up her disgarded wine glass and took a sip, her eyes sliding across the room to Auggie, who was now chatting with someone else.

One of the few women in the crowd approached her, asking about her skirt, so Annie's attention was drawn to talking about the shop she found on U Street. Her thoughts occasionally wandered back to the man who was publicly staking his claim on her a few minutes ago, though.

She wanted to ask him what that was all about, but she also wanted to trust him and not argue and break the bond that had formed between them over the past week. He trusted her, he'd said, and she had to believe he knew what he was doing.

**A/N Please review! Need to see that y'all are on board with me here.**


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Annie drove them to HQ. Though she was more than a little thrown from last night's public makeout session, Auggie seemed to have taken it in stride, and, as he said this morning, he'd amassed enough intel to run it past his tech team.

A smile lit her face as they walked along the hallways towards the DPD, arm-in-arm; Aug in his jeans, Chucks and tee. Her in a flowing wrap dress and wedge shoes. The IDs, thankfully, allowed them to pass, else Annie was sure they'd get stopped at the front desk.

"People are staring at us," she whispered to Auggie, who laughed.

"Must be your outfit," he replied, running his hand up her bare arm. "I must say, I prefer the look myself."

"Auggie," she said, noticing and trying to quell the shiver of goosebumps left behind, "No need to keep up the ruse in here."

"What ruse? Merely an observation," he said, pulling them to a stop as they approached the double doors. "After you," he said, pulling open the glass door.

While Auggie talked tech and intel and names with Stu and Barb and the rest of his team, Annie looked out into the bullpen to see Joan walking by. She inclined her head towards Annie, beckoning.

"Joan wants to talk to me," she said to Auggie before following her boss up to her office.

"How's it going?" Joan asked as they settled on the couch.

"Very well. Aug's back in the game, just as good as ever was. I think he's happy to be back out in the field again."

Joan nodded, but Annie could tell the woman was holding back. They filed daily reports with her, so Annie couldn't think what else she could want that they haven't already told her.

"Is there anything else?"

"You know what happened the last time he went out like this," Joan said with a sigh.

"As Aug Jasper?"

"We almost lost him."

Touched by the woman's unusual show of empathy and compassion, Annie smiled at her, "We didn't. I'll bring him back. I promise."

"I know he wanted to do this alone, but I couldn't risk that."

"I can't speak for him, Joan, but I trust him, and he trusts me to hold him back if it's needed."

Joan directed a calculating eye towards Annie. "Have you been able to?"

Annie didn't answer directly, as her mind's eye slid to what happened the day before. Her hesitation must have been too long, as Joan kept talking.

"I don't want to have to assign someone else."

Annie blinked and met the woman's penetrating gaze. "You won't. We're good."

"Glad to hear it. Keep in touch," she replied, standing up and walking back over to her desk.

Annie thought about the conversation all the way back down to tech ops. Was she strong enough to hold Auggie back if he got in deep?

"Did Joan have any information for us?" Auggie asked, upon her arrival.

"No, just catching up," Annie said.

"Really?" Auggie asked, his brows knitted together. "Since when is Joan into gossip?"

Annie wanted to blow it off, joke about how there's a first time for everything, but he didn't deserve to be lied to. "She's worried about you."

He obviously didn't expect that answer, as his headphones slid down to his neck, and he turned toward her. "Really? What did you say?"

Annie pulled up a chair beside him. "That I trust you, that we trust each other. And I won't let anything happen to you."

Auggie reached out and captured her hand with his. "Thank you."

"For what? Being a friend?"

"It's more than that. You know it, too."

Annie looked down at their clasped hands and placed her other on top of it, bringing his up to press a kiss against his knuckles. "I know. So what now? Any more info you guys dig up?"

The abrupt change of tone and forced lightness in her voice rang false to Auggie, but now wasn't the time to bring it up. There was plenty of time, when they were back at his safehouse, to hash out what was happening between them. For now, they had to concentrate on the case at hand.

"Yeah, we've been able to pinpoint some people, get some pictures, even, if you'd take a look at them? See if you recognize anyone?"

Annie nodded and released his hand. A few moments later, Auggie had on his monitor pictures of a half a dozen men. Some were mugshots, and some candid stills. One of the candids caught her eye.

"I've seen that guy before."

"Which one?" Auggie asked, sliding his headphones on.

"Third one over. I saw him at the bar we went to a few nights ago. Remember, when we met Stan? This guy was there, too. I saw Stan talking to him."

Auggie nodded and began typing on the keyboard and Braille reader. Soon a full dossier appeared on the screen. "I'm surprised you remember anything from that night, considering you were all over me," he teased.

Annie couldn't help but chuckle. "I wasn't the one who decided to change covers on the fly. I was just trying to sell it."

Soon the printer began spitting out documents, and Auggie leaned back in his chair. "If that's how you kiss undercover, I'm jealous of any boyfriend you've ever had."

Annie scoffed, "You should talk. That makeout session on your lap last night was one for the books."

A hesitant throat clearing behind them broke them apart, and Annie turned to see Stu standing there, his hands full of files. The dark-haired, dusky skinned man was fighting a smile, and Annie threw him a wink, which caused his cheeks to color.

"Thanks, Stu," she said, drawing the files out of his fingers. "So, do you think this guy is the elusive Ted Levine?"

"All the chatter and intel seems to point that way," he replied. "Did you recognize anyone else?"

Annie shook her head, so the tech analyst returned to his desk.

"So, Mr. Jasper, ready to go home and prepare for a night out?" she asked.

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><p><strong>AN Take a moment to tell me what you think. Reviews make me smile.**

**Check out my profile for an important poll!**


	6. Chapter 6

A week into his latest sojourn as Aug Jasper, and Auggie never felt better or more alive. Being out in the field in the past usually entailed an hour or two, and not on his own like this. Not calling his own shots and leading the case. Though his mind was on the case at hand, he couldn't help but look to the future and hope Joan allows him to do this more often.

And as he heard feminine footsteps through his safehouse, he knew he couldn't take all the credit. Annie Walker was the catalyst for his current situation. Before she came, he figured his life was in an office, behind a desk, directing others into the mission. Now he was out doing it himself again, and he had her to thank. If he were honest with himself, he knew she meant more to him than a "good friend," and he'd tell her. But how to do that without scaring her away? Their friendship was one of the best in his life – it rivaled that of his Army buddies.

Their activities this past week bordered on what he really wanted to do with her, and he wondered if she knew that, or guessed at it. Maybe it wasn't fair, he thought, to use Aug Jasper to get close to her, or indulge in a few of his fantasies, but every time the occasion came up, he told himself it was all for the cover. And besides, she wasn't exactly pushing him away or telling him to stop. Would it be possible that she felt the same way?

"Ready to go, Auggie?"

His reverie broken, Auggie shook himself and stood. "Let's go catch us a bad guy."

God, Annie thought, she wished she could read minds. The look on Auggie's face just a minute before had her not wanting to leave the apartment for a few days. Did he know what he did to her? He probably had an idea, she thought, given how she'd not been able to resist him any time he took her into his arms.

As they left the apartment, his arm slid from her upper arm where he usually held her as they walked to around her waist. He had his cane, and they walked easily, but the closeness sent Annie's heart rate up a little. There was no going back from this, she knew. No way would she be able to go back to being best buds with this man.

"So," she asked quietly as they walked down the street to the bar, "do you have an idea of what's going to happen tonight?"

"If this Ted Levine, or whatever his name is, is there, we'll make contact, see if he's the one."

"Just promise me you'll be careful," she said.

"Nothing's going to happen to me, Annie, or to you. I promise."

The place looked much the same as it did a few nights ago when they'd first ventured out as Aug and Annie. Low lights, groups of people here and there. Annie led them to the bar, where they both grabbed a couple of longnecks and settled in.

They kept it easy, just like a night out for a guy and his girl, enjoying each other and having a few drinks. Auggie had talked her through how to surveil these kind of guys. They were more paranoid than most, and fiercely protective of each other. The fact that Aug Jasper still held respect amongst the group wasn't lost on Annie.

So she kept her looking around to a minimum. She and Auggie seemed to onlookers as lost in each other's company, and that's the way they wanted it. After a half hour, Annie had gained enough info and pulled Auggie close, ostensibly to whisper sweet nothings in his ear.

"There's a few new faces than the other night, but about 75% the same crowd."

Auggie nodded, running his hand up her arm. "What about our mark?" he whispered back.

"He's here. Talking with Stan, if you can believe it. What do you want to do?"

"Let's wait a while longer, see if he approaches us."

Annie nodded, and sliding back into her cover, giggled aloud as she moved back out of his embrace. "Okay, I'll do shots with you, Aug, but only because we walked here, 'cause there's no way I'll be able to drive."

She walked a few steps away to capture the bartender's attention, hoping Ted Levine took the bait and approached Auggie. It seemed to work, 'cause a few minutes later, when she turned, two full shot glasses in her hand, he had stood and was walking across the bar to her and Auggie's table.

She made it there before him and sat the shot glass in Auggie's hand, whispering as low as she could, "It's showtime."

"Aug Jasper, I heard you were back, but couldn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes."

Annie slid beside Auggie, her arm sliding possessively around his waist.

"Yep, I'm here," Aug said, an easy smile coming to his face. "Don't think I know you, though."

"You don't. We haven't met. Name's Rex."

Auggie wanted to scoff, but he kept his cover and held his hand out. "What you up to, Rex?"

"Busy, the way I like it," he replied, clasping Auggie's hand.

Annie wanted to pass Auggie a bottle of hand sanitizer after he let go. The way Stan was big, burly and loud, this Ted "Rex" Levine was thin, gangly and rather unkempt. Again, Annie was thrown for a loop. She never would have picked the man out in the room as being the most dangerous, but apparently, he was. She felt she could take him down with one arm tied behind her back, but that would do nothing. They needed to know what he had and what he was capable of.

"Matter of fact, Stan tells me you might be able to help me out with something I'm working on."

"Sure, why not? I'm looking to get back on the horse. Been out of commission since, you know," Aug said, waving his hand in front of his face.

"Then follow me," he said, walking towards the back of the bar.

Annie and Auggie downed their shots and followed, Auggie's arm tight around her waist. She pulled him to a stop, though, as "Rex" rounded on them as he came to a door.

"We don't need an audience," he said, staring pointedly at Annie.

"He doesn't go anywhere alone," Annie said, meeting the man's eyes with her own glare. "Not anymore."

"She's cool, Rex," Auggie said.

"Very well," "Rex" said, opening the door and walking in. The room, Annie saw, was sparsely furnished. A table and a few chairs. Probably used for backdoor dealings, she thought. Only one door out, and the walls were most likely soundproofed.

She maneuvered Auggie over to one of the chairs and took the other, sitting close by and clasping Auggie's hand.

"Rex" wasted no time once the door was closed. "So, ever heard of the eraser?"

Aug scoffed, "Urban legend. Flares up every few years or so. Matter of fact, I was just hearing about it again."

"Yeah, that'd be me. I've done it."

"Really?" Aug asked, not bothering to keep the unbelievability out of his voice.

"Should I prove it? Your birthday's next month, right, Annie?"

Annie couldn't keep herself from flinching, and Auggie felt her hand clench his. They both knew from the chatter info and intel that all the eraser needed was a name and a birth date. Auggie could handle threats against him, but Annie didn't deserve any of this.

"Leave her alone."

"Work with me, then."

"I said I wanted to. There's no need to get unfriendly here," Aug said, smiling.

"Then you'll do it?"

"Why not?"

"Good. I guess you need to use your own equipment, huh?"

Auggie nodded, "Yeah, you should see the setup at my apartment. Some of it my own design."

"Cool. I'll see you there tomorrow?"

Auggie stood, bringing Annie up with him and pulling her to his side. "Come by after lunch, and we'll get acquainted."

"See you then."

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><p><strong>AN So, what's going to happen? The inevitable, of course. Please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

After talking with "Rex," Auggie's mind was working overdrive, deciding what to do with the information he had, and how to set up tomorrow's meet. If everything went as planned, it'd be the last time Ted Levine walked as a free man.

He and Annie walked in silence back to his safehouse, and had he not been in full "mission mode," he may have noticed how quiet she was being, how much she clung onto him during the few blocks' walk.

Her quiet didn't last, though, for as soon as his door shut, she asked, "Auggie, are you sure about this?"

"What do you mean?" Auggie asked, stopping on his way to his computer to turn toward her. Her tone seemed worried.

"This Rex guy seems really dangerous."

"I know he is," Auggie said with a small smile. "That's why I'm doing this, why we're doing this."

"I was thinking, though, do you think we should bring in –"

"I'm doing this, Annie," Auggie said, cutting her off. "It's my op."

"But what if he double-crosses you?"

He was confused as to her question, and it must have shown on his face, 'cause she continued talking.

"Think about it, Auggie. You've been gone for a while. He comes in, creates this malware, purportedly uses it on somebody, all in your name."

"I know," Auggie said, throwing up his hands in frustration. "Where are you going with this?"

"I'm thinking he used your name 'cause he thought you were gone, and he's riding on your reputation. But now he hears you're back, and ding-dong, Hi, Aug?"

"You think he's setting me up?" Auggie asked. He heard and felt her cross the room until she was but a few feet away.

"I don't want you to get hurt."

Auggie sighed, "That's very sweet, Annie, but I can take care of myself."

"Oh, yeah? Then why am I here in the first place?"

Auggie was tired, and he wondered why she picked now, of all times, to start an argument. He had so much work to do. "You're here 'cause Joan made me choose someone to come with me."

"Oh, is that it? I'm just here for decoration?"

"No," Auggie said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what is it, Auggie? Do you want my help, or not? 'Cause right now, all I seem to be doing is acting as your arm candy. You picked me to be here, I know you did. Do you not trust in my instincts?"

"Of course I do! But –"

"Then what? Do you want me to leave?"

That question got him moving, as he heard a bit of a sob behind her words. "No, don't leave. I need you here."

"It doesn't sound like it."

His feet took him across the room, to where she stood. He raised his hands to her, finding her arms crossed in front of her chest. He slid his hands up her bare arms to her neck. Her head was down, not looking at him, and he gently eased her head up, his fingers sliding into her hairline and along her jaw.

He wanted her looking at him when he began to speak. "I do need you here, Annie."

His ears caught a slight sniff.

"You don't need anybody."

"Yes, I do," he said. She was stiff and unwielding in his embrace, but she wasn't pulling back, either. He desperately wanted to prove to her how much she meant to him. To get it through to her that since meeting her, he never felt more alive, and how, when they were close and alone like this, the entire world seemed to just melt away. But doing so, saying all of that, would be laying his soul bare, and the small part of him that was a coward wouldn't allow it.

But he couldn't let her go, and he couldn't continue to let her think she was unimportant in his life. So he did the only thing he could think of. At first, she was as still as a statue as his lips touched her forehead. But again, she wasn't pushing him away, either.

It wasn't fair, Annie thought, as Auggie stepped nearer. She was upset, had every right to be, and here he was holding her, kissing her. She wanted to talk about the case more, about the danger she knew they were both in. Ted Levine's knowledge of her birthdate shook her to her core. Yeah, he was probably bluffing, but her birthday was next month, and the threat didn't feel empty.

But then Auggie took another step closer, his abdomen brushing up against her folded arms. God, he smelled good. He always smelled good, she thought. It wasn't fair. And then his hands moved, sliding even further into her hair and to the base of her neck.

She had simply pulled her hair back tonight, and Auggie's fingers made quick work of the scarf she had tied there. Once free, his hands slid into the locks, both loving and possessive at the same time. It broke something in Annie, and she whimpered as shoots of pleasure flared out from her scalp down her body. Her arms unfolded and slid around his waist just as his mouth descended.

For the third time in a week, Auggie was kissing her, but this time, it was different. This time, they weren't pretending. They weren't play-acting. They had no audience, no one to play to, nothing to prove. Yet they both needed it, both wanted it. They were feeding off of each other, and as hands explored and mouths tasted, their feet shuffled across the room.

Neither knew who was leading them toward the bed, but as Auggie felt the backs of his legs hit the mattress, and he collapsed, bringing Annie down with him, he used the few seconds their mouths parted to ask, "Are you sure about this?"

Half tangled in Auggie, half on the bed, Annie mimicked his past movements and slid her hands along his jaw into his hairline. She tilted his head up so she could look deep into his lust-filled gaze. "I need you, Auggie. I'll always need you."

He didn't require anything further, and he couldn't have said anything, anyway, as Annie's mouth descended on his, and her body lay into his until his back hit the mattress.

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><p><strong>AN Whew. Umm, yeah, not bad, huh? Okay, now, what did I want to say? Oh, yeah, plesae leave a review, if you don't mind. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Auggie slowly extricated himself from Annie's warm and loving body early the next morning. He'd wanted nothing more than to stay there with her, to keep the outside world away from this magical bubble. It's why he wanted to wait until after the mission to "take the next step," so to speak. He knew sex with Annie would be unlike any other he had experienced. Annie and he were so attuned to each other, so on an equal status. There were no words needed between them once they were in bed. He knew what she needd, what she wanted, and she did, as well.

Now it was close to 5am, and though he had wanted to crawl back in with her, he still had to work. They still had a bad guy to catch. A quick call into HQ set the plan into motion, and Auggie spent a couple hours fitting out his computer with what he needed. It wouldn't be long now.

Annie woke late in the morning. Never before had she experienced such a restful sleep. She felt as if a weight had lifted off of her, and not just because she was in bed instead of the couch. Her arm stretched out, but the other side of the bed was empty and cold.

Did she just dream last night? She sat up quickly, clutching the bed sheets to her naked body. Light streamed through the windows, making her squint against its glare. Then she smiled. Auggie was standing at the counter. He'd obviously showered and dressed, and Annie gathered the sheet around her and padded over to him.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pressed up against him. "Good morning."

Auggie immediately dropped the toast he was preparing and turned around in her arms. His hands went directly to her face, and his lips to hers. "Good morning," he replied when he lifted his head.

"So it wasn't a dream?"

"Never. I have coffee for you and food. Why don't you shower, and I'll feed you?"

"God," Annie thought as she hurried to take a quick shower. "I think I'm in love."

Half an hour later, dressed and fed, she walked up behind him as he sat at his desk, her hands on his shoulders. "Well, Auggie? Ready to take down a hacker?"

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><p>At the appointed time, a knock sounded on Aug's front door. He went to answer, as Annie curled herself on the corner of the couch, a book in hand and iPod buds in her ears. She seemed oblivious to the ongoings, nodding her head in time with the music.<p>

Auggie heard "Rex" take a step in and then stop. "What is she doing here?"

Auggie stepped around the man to shut the door. "She's clueless, dude. Doesn't know and doesn't care."

"You two tight?"

"Very," Auggie replied, not liking the hopeful tone of the man's question.

"Shame."

"Shall we get to it?" Auggie asked, waving an arm over to his desk where his laptop and Braille keyboard sat.

Annie held back a shudder of revulsion and continued bopping her head in time with the non-existent music. Instead, she listened to Aug and "Rex" talking in one ear and in the other, their backup assembling in the apartment's bathroom and in the hallway outside.

The setup was all Auggie's idea, since he woke early and formulated the brilliant plan that was now in play. Audio and video of the apartment, plus anything that was inputted into his computer was routed directly to the DPD's tech ops room.

She was so proud of him. And yeah, she thought, after last night, pretty much head over heels in love with him. It's a shame he'd have to give up this apartment and get a new safehouse, she thought. They'd created some great memories in this place.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched "Rex" and Auggie talk and work at the computer. Their dialogue had slid into tech-talk, and Annie couldn't quite follow what they were saying. Most of it was over her head. She kept her ears open, though, waiting for the moment when Auggie decided he had enough information, and they would take him down.

After half an hour, the moment came. Auggie excused himself to the bathroom, and Annie folded the book in her lap. It wouldn't be long now.

Once Auggie opened the door to the bathroom, he slid to the side as two armored SWAT-like men stepped out, their semi-automatics aimed straight at Ted "Rex" Levine.

It laughably took the man a couple of seconds to realize what was going on, but it was more than enough time for another few similarly dressed men to come through the front door.

These men shouted at the hacker to step away from the computer with his hands up. That got his attention, and in a strict flight-or-fight move, he took a couple of stumbling steps back toward Annie and the couch.

Annie jumped up, her own Glock extended from her hands. It was then that Ted Levine began to shout.

"Aug, what the hell, man!"

"Give it up, Ted," Annie said, and the man's eyes went wide.

Annie kept her gun leveled at him while he was taken to the floor and handcuffed. Maybe, given the hacker's small stature, it didn't require all four officers to hold him down, but Annie wasn't about to cry foul.

Once they dragged him, stumbling and crying, out of the apartment, Annie sat her gun back on the couch and took a deep breath.

"Is it safe to come out now?" Auggie asked, walking back in.

Annie laughed and launched herself at him, winding her arms around his neck. He caught her and lifted her around in a circle.

"You did it, Auggie!" Annie shouted, as he let her back down onto the ground.

"We did it," he corrected, then in a move that he'd been wanting to do all morning, he dropped his mouth onto hers in a congratulatory kiss.

Annie returned it, running her hands into his hair and pulling him closer. She was thinking how soon they needed to check into HQ, and if they had time to revisit their activities of last night when the earwig buzzed in her ear. She'd forgotten she still had it on.

"We can still see and hear you, you know."

THE END

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><p>Hope you enjoyed it!<p> 


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